It was discovered that 3DS sales account for 20 percent of all gaming hardware sales in the U.S. and Europe

Nintendo's CEO recently mentioned that its handheld 3DS currently isn't doing so hot in the United States and Europe.

Satoru Iwata, Nintendo CEO, recently led the company’s 72nd Annual General Meeting of Shareholders where the 3DS portable gaming system was discussed. According to Iwata, "momentum in the U.S. and Europe is currently weak."

It was discovered that 3DS sales account for 20 percent of all gaming hardware sales in the U.S. and Europe.

This probably isn't too surprising to those who have followed the 3DS' history. It was released in March 2011 and initially had poor sales. Nintendo blamed the lackluster lineup of titles for the unimpressive sales, and decided to slash the price of the 3DS from $249.99 to $169.99 in August 2011.

However, Nintendo posted its first annual loss ever in April 2012. The company reported an operating loss of 37.3 billion yen ($460.9 million USD) and a net loss of 43.2 billion yen ($532.5 million USD).

The company is currently trying to make a comeback with its new Wii U console, which will be released this year and features a controller with a 6.2-inch screen, an accelerometer, gyroscope, rumble support, microphone, speakers, stylus, sensor strip, and a front-facing camera. Nintendo is also looking to couple its Wii U console with its own social network called Miiverse.

In addition, Nintendo will soon release the 3DS XL, which is larger version of the 3DS, this month in Japan and next month in the U.S. for $199.

While Iwata reported weak 3DS sales in the U.S. and Europe at its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, the company can at least take pride in the fact that 3DS sales are healthy in Japan. In fact, the 3DS accounts for 55 percent of all gaming hardware sales in Japan.